UOC shows destroyed churches of Donbas

St. Macarius Church of the UOC in Toretsk. Photo: Pokrovsky Vicariate of the UOC

The Pokrovsky Vicariate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has shared images of several churches in Donetsk Oblast that were devastated by the war.

On March 17, the vicariate’s Telegram channel published a photo of St. Macarius Church in Toretsk, with the caption: "This is all that remains of it." The image shows that only parts of the walls of the church have survived.

St. Macarius Church in Toretsk after destruction

St. Macarius Church in Toretsk before the war

St. Macarius Church was built in 1906. After the revolution, it was closed by the Bolsheviks but was reopened in 1959 and remained active. The exact date of its destruction is unknown.

On the same day, the vicariate’s press service also shared images of St. Panteleimon Church in Toretsk, which now consists only of its bell tower.

St. Panteleimon Church in Toretsk after the battles

St. Panteleimon Church in Toretsk

St. Panteleimon Church was built in 1911 and was closed after the revolution. In 1943, the faithful succeeded in restoring services, which continued until the Russian invasion in 2022.

Additionally, the Pokrovsky Vicariate shared an image of the site where Kazan Church in the village of Iskra once stood – now completely destroyed.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that experts estimated the number of UOC churches destroyed by the war.

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